Tracks Of My Tears
by PlayTheGame
Summary: <html><head></head>Take a man's memories and you take all of him...After suffering a serious injury in the ring, Paul is left fighting for his life. But overcoming the physical is only half the battle. Triple H/Stephanie. Mentions of the McMahon's and other WWE superstars throughout.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - No, I shouldn't post a new story but honestly, it's like a serious illness or something lol. I wrote this ages ago and decided what the hell, I may as well post it. I hope you like it and that it will keep you all distracted from the fact that I haven't updated a story in forever...whoops... Enjoy lol...**

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><p><em>"Memory is all we are. Moments and feelings, captured in amber, strung on filaments of reason. Take a man's memories and you take all of him."<em>  
><em>― Mark Lawrence, King of Thorns<em>

The arena was deafening, so loud he could barely hear himself think.

"To the outside," Bryan called the spot, preparing them for a transition into the climax of the match. Triple H would get knocked outside, Bryan would do his dive, they would battle back to the ring and enter the finishing stretch.

Paul hovered by the ropes, his body aching in every possible way imaginable. One knee was on the ground while he planted his other foot, holding steady so he could stand up and get knocked out of the ring. But before he had a chance to realise what was happening, Bryan's boot connected squarely with his jaw, sending him harshly through the second rope. He was unprepared for the contact and even more unprepared for the sick crack of his skull on the exposed concrete floor. Suddenly everything began to fade away and the last measure of control over his conscious slipped to darkness.

Behind the monitors in the infamous Gorilla position, Stephanie watched the scene unfold in sheer horror. The sickening thud of her husband's head smacking off the ground seemed to reverberate around the vast arena. When he made no move to get up or even move at all, she knew something was wrong. She knew it before he had even hit the floor. After spending countless hours standing at ringside watching him and even more hours watching from behind a screen, she knew every single little thing about him when he was in that ring. She knew when he was hurt, she knew when he was confused or when something went wrong and he had to improvise to try and fix it. She knew when he wasn't pleased with a particular move and could always tell how he felt about a match from his mannerisms and body language. She was his wife and she made it her duty to watch and study all of his matches so that when he walked back through that curtain she could tell him exactly what he needed to hear. It was a skill developed through endless worry and sheer admiration for his craft. Paul was her husband and they belonged together but if there was one other place on this earth that he belonged it was in a WWE ring and under those bright lights.

All of these things were the reason why her heart suddenly jumped into her throat. And Paul still wasn't moving.

"Hunter! Hunter!"

Faint calls. He could hear faint calling.

"YES! YES! YES! YES!"

The fans. The sound was muted but he could just about make out what they were shouting. A strange warmth spread across his right cheek.

"Paul…"

Mike Chioda stared down at the glazed eyes and distant expression on the face of his boss and winced. He'd seen Hunter fight through a catalogue of injuries but he'd never seem him like this before. He legitimately looked completely out of it. In his ear he could hear Vince asking if his son-in-law was okay. With regret Chioda raised his arms to make the dreaded 'X' symbol, indicating to everybody in the back that Paul was most certainly not okay. As soon as the sign was made he knew the cameras would be off them. In an instant Doc Sampson was at his side and Chioda took the chance to signal to Bryan that they needed a bit of time.

"Hunter can you hear me? It's Doc Sampson. If you can hear me I need you to say something….move….do anything to let me know. Can you do that?"

Paul could sense that somebody was talking to him but he couldn't make out a damn thing being said. The lights were blinding, the fans were deafening yet oddly silent. They were too loud yet he could barely hear them. A quick rush of excruciating pain hammered at the back of his head. It was so severe that he was certain he had passed out and came to a few seconds later.

Doc Sampson's face was tight. Hunter wasn't responding to his voice, he wasn't responding to the light shining in his eyes. He was simply staring at everything and nothing all at once, a faraway look on his face that fluctuated between heavy blinks and a pained expression. In his opinion this match needed to stop right now but somehow he had a feeling that that wasn't an option. The rematch between Triple H and Daniel Bryan had been building for months. Everybody involved was invested in this but that wasn't important. The health of an injured talent was his primary concern and right now, Paul Levesque was in no condition to compete. At the very least he had sustained a serious concussion. There was no way he could let him go back in there and finish the match.

In the back of his mind and somewhere between the onslaught of throbbing pain that now subsided there, Paul managed to figure out that he was in the middle of a match. At that point autopilot kicked in and he feebly brushed away the faceless people huddled around him. He stared ahead but couldn't see. Everything was a blur. With every ounce of energy in his body he managed to sit up, fighting down the sudden rush of nausea that threatened to make him puke his guts out at the movement. A blotchy image appeared and he decided that it must be the ring. Paul grabbed at the apron wildly as he lost his balance and fell against it, once again brushing off the hands that tried to help. He had to finish the match. Somebody was waiting for him in there to finish the match. He couldn't even remember who it was.

"What's the finish?" Doc Sampson asked Chioda warily.

"Knee to the face."

"This is a mistake."

Chioda shrugged his shoulders. "Unless you jump in there and stop him there's nothing we can do." By this stage the fans had grown restless while Bryan kept them distracted with "YES" chants. But they were anxious for their hero to best The Authority once again and the sight of Triple H staggering back into the ring brought about a huge cheer. Chioda knew he just had to get them through this as safely as he could. The order came through his earpiece to end the match ASAP. He walked to Bryan, discreetly telling him to finish it up and moved out of the way to let them go at it again.

"YES! YES! YES! YES!"

Bryan threw his arms into the air with every cry from the fans. He waited with baited breath for Hunter to get into position for his finishing move. The other man's movements were slow and Bryan knew something was wrong. Even from across the ring he could tell that Hunter had no clue what the hell was going on. His eyes were rolling all over the place and legs were like jello.

It was a weird feeling, Paul thought to himself for the split second before he hit the mat and was counted out; to have all your senses on edge yet still not know what was happening around you. The atmosphere was at fever pitch, the excitement almost tangible. He could hear the loud chanting and could just about make out the dark red kickpads across the ring. Suddenly they began to move before taking off. Paul didn't know what hit him. In a flash the knee connected with his face and he fell down hard, the back of his head once again smacking against the ring. He faintly felt his leg rising in the air, just dangling for the briefest of moments before it fell down. Simultaneously an eruption of noise shook his chest. He felt it rather than heard it. His eyes blinked once….twice….three times, before everything blended together in one big hazy mess. And that was it. His eyes fell closed as a searing pain ripped through head.

"Oh my God."

Stephanie's hushed words matched the atmosphere in Gorilla. Everybody knew something was wrong. It wasn't hard to decipher, not with Paul in the state that he was. The bile in her stomach rose as the horrible smacking noise of her husband's head meeting the concrete floor permeated her brain once more. Despite the deafening screams and scenes of joy from the fans, it was the only thing she could hear; his far off, glazed over eyes the only thing she could see. Her eyes tore from the first camera feed to settle on the camera not being used for the live shot. It was focused on the now frantic scene of her husband being tended to by WWE's medical staff. It would probably be best to wait until they brought him back here but she simply couldn't wait.

"Stephan….." Vince stopped in his tracks at the look on his daughter's face as she spun to face him. She was going out there no matter what he said. "…just go." She was gone in a flash and joined the various medical staff as they made their way to the ring in a frantic clump.

Faint boos rang out around the arena at the appearance of Stephanie McMahon running down the ramp but most fans were still too immersed in Bryan's triumphant victory to notice. It wasn't until the champion slowly made his way to the back that the reality of the situation started to seep throughout the arena. Triple H still hadn't moved, he was surrounded by medics and his wife looked absolutely heartbroken.

Stephanie pushed her way through the throng of people huddled over her husband, her eyes desperately running over him as she softly cupped his cheek. "Paul….baby? Baby it's me, can you hear me?" She looked to the doctors in concern. "What's going on? What's wrong with him?" His cheeks felt warm under her hands but that wasn't unusual, not after a grueling match.

"We need to get him looked at, Steph. Now," Dr Amann urged gravely. He concurred with Doc Sampson. Hunter needed to get to a hospital and immediately. From their brief examination he'd be surprised if the prognosis came out as a concussion because he had the unfortunate feeling that this was going to be worse. A lot worse. The man was knocked out cold and wasn't responding to any triggers. The sooner he got to the hospital the better.

"Then what are you waiting for? Move him!" Stephanie barked in frustration. She didn't care if it was uncalled for. Her husband was lying unconscious before her; that was uncalled for. Good god, her stomach with churning with anxiety. Dr Amaan's tone had shaken her right through to her bones. This was serious. Her watery blue eyes looked back down as the medics carefully braced Paul's neck and rolled him on to a stretcher. Cautiously, the stretcher was manoeuvred outside the ring to a gurney and Stephanie was at his side in an instant, reaching down to grab his hand. If he was awake he'd probably joke that she was cutting off his circulation but the cold hard fact was that he wasn't. He wasn't awake to make silly jokes or make her laugh and Stephanie chocked back a sob at the thought. She studied his face as they wheeled him up the ramp, barely cognizant enough to recognise that a standing ovation had broken out all around her. If she wasn't so distressed she would have acknowledged the show of respect from the fans but she wasn't thinking straight. The only thing she was thinking about was her husband and getting him to a hospital as soon as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - First off thank you for all the reviews. I sense impatience with my lengthy breaks between updates. I'm sorry about that lol but my want to write comes and goes. I can only do it when it's there but I am sorry for being such a shit updater. Second of all, I'm no doctor. I did a bit of research for this but if it's incorrect then whoops lol. Hopefully nobody goes all ER on me if my diagnoses is wrong. Anyways, enjoy...**

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><p>Stephanie's fingers entwined at the back of her neck as she sat on the hard plastic chair, her elbows making a point at the end of her nose. She'd been through this drill a million times but never like this; never in an emergency, at least not for a long time. This business had brought its fair share of hospital visits for her family but most were planned. A date for surgery. A date for a check up. The last time she'd been rushed to hospital, except for her pregnancies, had been back in 2002 when Paul's throat had been crushed in that damn Elimination Chamber match and they didn't know whether his larynx would survive the night. She had been terrified but at least she knew what it was and had been able to sit with him. But this? She didn't know what the hell was going on and from the looks of the faces on the doctors she had briefly spoken with, neither did they.<p>

Her worried blue eyes stared aimlessly ahead. Her heart felt it was stuck in her throat and no matter how hard she tried to stay calm, it simply wasn't working. How could she? "God," she let out a frustrated sigh. There was nothing worse than waiting. It was only serving to add to her current mood; a jumble of emotion, worry, panic and frustration. She remembered the pained expression on Daniel Bryan's face as the gurney had wheeled backstage. Bryan had apologised profusely. For whatever reason he had stuck in her head. Maybe it was because he'd been the last person her husband actually spoke to or maybe it was because at the time she knew her eyes had been full of blame. But it wasn't his fault. And it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Paul and him being ok. The rest was bullshit to be dealt with later.

"Any update?"

Stephanie looked up to find her father standing with a Starbucks cup outstretched in his hand. Under any other circumstances she'd be thankful but right now she couldn't stomach any form of sustenance, even coffee. "Thanks dad but I can't."

Vince nodded and set the cup on the small table next to where she was seated. "Maybe later." His eyes ran over her in concern. Naturally she was fraught with worry, as was the entire family. He just thanked his lucky stars that the PPV had been in Hartford tonight. At least they were in their home state and only an hour away from their actual homes. It enabled him to sort out cover for his granddaughters, inform his wife and get everybody organised. And he was happy to do it if it meant easing the burden on his daughter even if just a little. "So…any news?"

"Nothing," Stephanie shook her head. "The last time anybody spoke to me was when we arrived and just before you left. I've seen a few doctors come in and out, heard some muttering but I….nothing."

Controlling his anger wasn't exactly his strong suit but Vince tried to keep it bottled down. He wouldn't take it out on Stephanie when there was a perfectly fine slew of nurses and doctors for that. How could they just leave her here without any information as to what was going on?

"Gimme a second," he rubbed her shoulder briefly and marched to the nearest person he could find. "Excuse me?"

The young woman looked up from the charts in her hand and managed a half lipped smile. "Yes?"

"Can you give me any information on Paul Levesque? We've been waiting for hours and haven't…."

"The doctors will speak to you when they're able, sir."

Vince's eyes almost bulged out of his head. The nerve of this woman to give him some bullshit answer and try to walk away. He lightly put his hand on her forearm and spun her back around. "I don't think you understand. My daughter and I have been waiting for hours for some sort of update on my son-in-law. I'm paying your damn bills lady so why don't you put your little chart down and go find out for me before I kick up a fuss so big that whoever runs this place will fire you and not think twice about it." He watched with a snarl on his face as the woman scurried off through the double doors and hopefully came back with something useful.

Usually Stephanie would be mortified at her father throwing his weight around but right now she didn't give a damn. She wanted answers and besides, if he hadn't, it was likely she would have. She was slowly losing her patience with this whole situation. If that's what it took to find out what was going on with her husband then that's what it took. Her father casually plopped into the seat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. It was more comforting than he would ever know. "Thanks, dad."

"Thanks? I'm surprised you aren't telling me off," Vince chuckled lowly.

Stephanie simply managed a tight smile. "Not today." His attempt at lightening the mood hadn't gone unnoticed but she didn't have the energy or inclination for jokes right now. She just wanted to see Paul. She _needed_ to see him.

The two sat in silence for several minutes, each lost in their thoughts until the appearance of the young woman and thankfully a God damn doctor forced Vince to sit up. Stephanie lifted her head from his shoulder and shot to her feet.

"Family of Paul Levesque?"

"Yes, I'm his wife," Stephanie answered immediately, desperate for information.

"I'm Doctor Burke. Mrs. Levesque, your husband is suffering from a cerebral or brain edema. Basically the injury sustained at the point of impact was so severe that it caused his brain to swell to a worrying level. We've conducted x-rays, MRI's and CT scans to give us the best picture possible of his condition. The tissue is deeply bruised and swollen and the x-ray shows that small fragments of his skull have chipped off and ruptured some blood vessels." At this point the doctor slowed at the wide eyed expression on the face of the woman before him. He didn't want to scare her but at the same time he didn't want to lie to her either. "Now, don't be alarmed by that. It's perfectly normal for that to happen during blunt force trauma to the head. It's bleeding but has already shown positive signs in the few hours he's been here. We don't think that's going to be an issue. It will take time to heal but the real concern is with the swelling. If that doesn't come down then…"

"Then what?" Vince asked solemnly, fully aware that his daughter was in no state to ask questions. She looked like she'd just been punched in the gut. He felt about the same.

"Then we'll talk about that if we get there." The doctor cleared his throat and motioned with his hand to the double doors. "You can come see him if you wish. When you're ready I'll be available to answer any questions you might have going forward." Doctor Burke managed a half smile and looked between the two. "I understand how difficult this is and right now it might seem impossible but many people come out of injuries like this unscathed. The brain is a remarkable organ and your husband could be the same, Mrs. Levesque but we can't make false promises. At present time his condition needs to be carefully monitored to ensure it doesn't get any worse. I'll let you visit with him and we can discuss it further when you're finished, ok? It's just right this way."

Her heels clacked against the ground but she didn't hear them. Stephanie gripped her father's arm like a vice as they walked with Doctor Burke down the hall. She heard the beeping from the monitors before even putting a foot through the door.

"I'll let you have some privacy," Doctor Burke said quietly before taking his leave.

"Jesus," Vince muttered to nobody in particular. He looked from his son-in-law to his daughter and physically winced at the sheer look of pain on Stephanie's face.

Stephanie covered her hand with her mouth. Paul was lying there almost as if he were sleeping. There wasn't a mark on him. It was the plethora of tubes and machines hooked up to both arms and his face that were scaring the life out of her. She took a step closer, gradually releasing the grip on her father's arm until she was standing at his bedside. Only then did she notice how pale he looked.

"Paul." Her voice was barely a whisper as she reached out and took his hand. It felt…..different. He wasn't stroking his thumb across the back of her hand. His fingers weren't locked with hers. Sometimes, when it was just the two of them and they were wrapped in each other's arms she'd take his hand and they'd be so still she could feel his heartbeat, so faint at the tip of this thumb, but there. Not this time. It was something so simple but it was enough to tip her over the edge. She unsuccessfully held back a sob.

Vince was immediately at her side as she broke down and started to cry. He knew she'd been holding it in all this time and truthfully he felt like crying himself. He glanced at Paul over Stephanie's shoulder and could only shake his head. It was him but it _wasn't_ him, not until he woke up and they all could get the hell out of here.

"I'm ok, dad."

"You don't have to hold back in front of me, Steph. God, don't you ever hold back in front of me."

"Really. I'm fine." Stephanie sniffed, wiping her eyes and getting herself together. "Can I just…"

He was already a step ahead of her. "I'll just be outside, sweetheart. I'll call your mother, check in on the girls." Vince gave her a quick squeeze and was on his way.

The room was completely silent except for the deafening sound of the monitors.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Stephanie blanked them out and pulled the chair closer to the bed. She sat down and took a deep breath, finally pulling her eyes to her husband's face. The doctor forgot to mention that he wasn't awake although that was probably to be expected. He just looked like he was sleeping; his expression, peaceful. If only that were true. Her fingers entwined with his as her eyes slid shut. "Please be ok, baby. Please be ok."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - So The Authority lost...but it's fine (sort of) because it looks like we're set for the McMahon's going to war which will be amazing. So I guess I can live with it. Here's the next update for this one and I can't even believe I'm doing this but anybody who leaves a review for this, please express your level of interest in a Beautiful Stranger sequel if you wish. For those who don't know, it's a completed story of mine that I promised a sequel to and never wrote. For those who do know, well, you all know who you fucking are you bitches so...enjoy...**

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><p>"<em>Sometimes I wish we lived somewhere like this."<em>

"_Hmmm?"_

_Stephanie sighed and gripped his fingers tighter, tugging him even closer into her. Her head lolled back and forth lethargically while her husband took his time kissing and sucking on her neck. A delicious shiver sprinkled throughout her body and it was a wonder she even remembered what the hell she had said. "I said, sometimes I wish we lived somewhere like this." This time his head lifted and their cheeks pressed together. Two sets of relaxed eyes stared out over the Atlantic. It was early evening and the sun was just beginning to set over the Florida Coast. _

"_Why's that?" Paul wondered, tightening his grip around her waist. They stood on the balcony of their suite with a spectacular view capping off what had been a pretty spectacular day. Granted, they hadn't really bothered with the view until now but he wasn't complaining. The second the corporate jet hit the runway the only thing on his mind was taking his wife to bed. And there they had stayed since nine pm last night. It was now coming up to seven and he felt more relaxed than he had in ages. _

"_Just…..the sun…..the view….I don't know," Stephanie shrugged. "I guess it beats those cold wintery mornings back home."_

"_I thought you liked those cold wintery mornings? You think I don't see that little smile on your face when you're pulling on your hat, scarf and gloves?"_

_Stephanie tilted her head and looked at him in amusement. "You're too damn observant for your own good, you know that?"_

"_So you keep telling me," Paul grinned, enjoying the light breeze that filtered over the balcony. A soft fluttering sound accompanied the wisps of white sheet that blew loosely in the air at his back. He tugged the bed sheet up and held it more securely between their joined hands. A smile played with his eyes at the thought of them both standing completely naked outside with only this sheet around them and he didn't even feel the cold. Maybe his wife was on to something. Then again, they'd probably worked up enough body heat between them to last a lifetime after the marathon sex session that had preceded this little balcony chat. The smile in his eyes sparkled at the thought. _

"_I tell you a lot of things, doesn't mean you listen."_

"_I'll tell you something right now," he quipped in response._

"_What?"_

"_This is a breathtaking view and I'm not talking about the ocean."_

_Stephanie felt her cheeks grow hot; partly from what he just said and partly from the way his eyes were drinking her in like a thirsty man in the desert. "Paul…"_

"_I tell you you're beautiful all the time, doesn't mean you listen to me."_

_She snorted at his smart response. Trust him to use her own words against her. "Sooooo not the same thing."_

"_Steph," Paul chuckled. "If I was blind I'd know you were the hottest woman on earth. If I was gay I'd know you were the hottest woman on earth. If I was in a fucking coma I'd know you were the hottest woman on earth. And it is the same thing. Listening. We're talking about listening."_

"_Honestly I don't know what the hell we're talking about any more….can we have sex now?"_

_Paul burst out laughing and leaned his head against hers. "I don't know, I was kind of enjoying this spirited debate about listening. I swear all you ever want me for is sex."_

"_But babyyyy…" she half whined as she turned in his arms and stroked her hands over his face. "…you're so good at it."_

"_Thank you," he grinned. "You're….alright I guess."_

_Stephanie slapped his shrugging shoulders and playfully bit down on his earlobe. "Just alright yet you're screaming my name every damn time."_

"_I think you'll find….that it is in fact YOU…..who screams my name…" Paul murmured against her neck between kisses. "But if it makes you feel any better…" He trailed off before erupting into a high pitched wail. "Steph! Oh Stephanie! Ohhhh Steph, you're so much better than just alright! Ohhhhh, Steph, Steph, Stephanie!"_

_His theatrical and comical rendition of what was supposed to be him in the throes of passion was so ridiculous that she buried her head in his shoulder, her body shaking with laughter. "You're an asshole," she managed to get out._

"_Yeah but I'm your asshole." Paul smiled against her mouth as he placed a teasing kiss to her lips. "I think we should go have that sex now…"_

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><p>"Steph….Steph…..Stephanie?"<p>

Stephanie woke with a start, her mind a million miles away and still on that sunlit balcony with her husband. It was only when she blinked the sleep out of her eyes that reality hit her like a smack in the face.

"Steph, are you okay?"

She stared up into the concerned eyes of her mother and absently nodded her head. "I'm…..I'm fine, mom." There was a slight chill in her bedroom, one that was only felt when she swept the heavy covers off her body and swung her bare legs over the side of the bed.

Linda watched as her daughter rubbed her hands over her tired face and simply sat, taking a moment to gather herself before standing up. Truthfully she was just happy that Stephanie had managed to actually get some sleep. The past two weeks had been an absolute nightmare and nobody in the family was sleeping well, least of all her daughter.

"What time is it?"

"Almost noon. I know you asked me to wake you at nine but you needed the sleep, Stephanie. You have to…"

"…look after myself, I know, mom," Stephanie finished for her with a grateful smile. She was thankful for the extra few hours. At least it wouldn't leave her completely exhausted when she got home from the hospital tonight. "I'm just going to take a shower and then I'll be down."

"Sure." Linda smiled and took her leave.

Stephanie waited for the door to click shut before finally letting out the sigh she'd been holding in. She absently scratched at the back of her head and let her blue eyes slowly sweep around the room. The place just felt so big now that it was just her living and sleeping in it. Paul had been in the hospital for almost three weeks and needless to say, it had been the worst three weeks of her life. It took a few days but after much coaxing; she finally admitted that sitting at his bedside twenty four seven wasn't good for anybody, especially when she had three little girls at home. They were already deprived of their father for the time being and they needed her mother. That's why she stayed home, for them above anything else, even if it cut through her like a knife to be away from her husband. She just hated the thought of him waking up and her not being there. That's if he ever did wake up.

Stephanie let out another sigh and walked to the en suite bathroom. Immediately her eyes were drawn to the various toiletries on his side of the vanity, still there, untouched, since this horrible mess began. Every time she walked in here, every time she had a God damn thought, about anything, it blew her away, the fact that this was even happening. A stinging sensation burned the back of her eyes but she quickly brushed it off, not allowing herself to cry. She pulled the baggy shirt she wore as pyjamas over her head and stared at it for a moment before folding it up and setting it on top of the laundry basket. It was Paul's. She liked to wear his shirts to bed because they were so big and comfy. They drowned her but she didn't care, not when she could still smell him. Now more than anytime else, the smell of him was a great comfort to her. It may be silly but wearing his shirts made her feel close to him. He always said they looked better on her anyway, right before he made some dirty remark and tried to cop a feel of her legs. God, she'd give anything to hear his voice and see that cheeky smirk. Almost three weeks. If this went on any longer she was certain she would lose her mind.

The water was somewhat soothing when she stepped under the hot stream. Part of her wanted to stand there for as long as she pleased, desperate to let the warm water wash away her fears. But the other part wanted to hug her children close and never let them go. They were the one thing keeping her sane. Stephanie rinsed the shampoo from her hair and lathered her body with soap. Her kids knew that their father wasn't feeling well and was in hospital but they didn't understand why they couldn't see him. She just didn't think it was a good idea to bring them when he was basically unconscious like this. They'd get even more upset than they already were and neither they nor she needed that. It was hard enough as it was answering their constant questions. Where's daddy? When is daddy coming home? Is daddy better now? In hospital, I don't know, little by little. Those were her answers. It was all she could say to keep from breaking down in front of them every time they asked.

As she rinsed the suds from her body she let her mind drift back to the wonderful dream she'd been having. It wasn't even a dream. It was a perfect memory of the little vacation they had taken only last month. For whatever reason, this particular memory had been plaguing her every time she managed to fall asleep. They finally managed to clear some time in their impossible schedule to get away for three and a half days. The majority of that time had been spent between their hotel bed sheets but she wouldn't have it any other way. They got so little time to spend together during their hectic everyday lives that she relished the opportunity to just laze around in bed; eating, talking, dozing off and making love. The memory made her chest grow tight and for a moment she felt like just letting herself give in to those ever present tears but she fought them off. If she started she might not stop.

Her thoughts were still wrapped up in her memories when she stepped out of the shower five minutes later and was drying off. She pulled on yoga pants, a black tank and a grey oversized sweater. Her appearance had probably gone to shit but she didn't care, she thought to herself. It wasn't like anybody was going to see her. With her hair pulled back into a damp, messy bun, Stephanie made her way down the stairs and into the living room to find her mother there with Paul's parents, each with a granddaughter on their lap. She smiled. It was the little moments like this that got her through the day.

"Mommy!"

"Hey, baby," Stephanie reached down and picked her youngest daughter up when she wriggled herself to the ground and came running towards her at full pelt. Vaughn's soft golden hair tickled her cheek. Hugging her little girls would never fail to make her feel at peace. Even in the most uncertain and turbulent times, like now, it was a feeling she treasured.

"Are you going to see daddy today?" Aurora asked, wide eyed. She was going to ask if she could come even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes, I'm going in a little bit and no, you can't come, sweetheart."

"But why, mommy! I'm bigger than Murphy and Vaughn. I can come!"

The last thing she needed was a temper tantrum. Stephanie sat down next to her mother-in-law whose lap her daughter currently occupied and looked at the mirror image staring back. "Sweetie, we've been over this already. Daddy's not well enough for you to come visit. He's still very sick."

"I wanna see him. It's not fair."

Murphy watched the exchange between her mother and older sister before climbing off her grandfather's lap and walking to stand in the middle of the room. "Daddy's too sick for us to visit, Rora. We might get sick too and then everybody will get sick. Right, mommy?"

Stephanie could only smile. If Aurora was her spitting image then Murphy was Paul's. Trust her to be the voice of reason in the middle of all this too, just like her father and at six years old no less. "Come here," she motioned with her hand and was quickly surrounded by her three bundles of joy. "Your dad is very sick but he's not…that type of sick. He…hurt his head and the doctors want him to sleep a lot so he can get better faster and not be sore when he wakes up. Do you understand?"

"Daddy sleeping?"

This time it was Vaughn who spoke up and Stephanie nodded her head. "Yes. He's sleeping. When I or your grandma's or grandpa's go to visit, we just sit beside him while he sleeps."

"So he just sleeps when you go there?"

"Yep," Paul Snr answered Aurora's question, mildly amused by the shocked expression on her face. "He just lies there sleeping. You're not missing much, I promise. I know you want to see him but he needs to rest so he can wake up better and not sick anymore."

Stephanie cast an appreciative nod at her father-in-law. Everybody had been so helpful since Paul's injury. She couldn't ask for a better family and she meant the whole lot of them. Even her father flew home more often than he used to just to be with her, visit with the kids and sit with Paul when he could. The WWE went on business as usual. It had to. But she simply wasn't capable of even thinking about it right now no less fulfilling her duties.

"I hope he wakes up soon."

Murphy's quiet statement was echoed in the minds of everybody in the room. Stephanie shut her eyes and squeezed her children tighter. She hoped Paul woke up soon too. Their kids missed their dad and she desperately missed her husband.


End file.
